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| Staff Writer |
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David Eustace's Caulfield Cup runner-up Gold Trip may run in all three of Melbourne's premier spring races on November 1. After Durston ran him down in the shadows of the post at Caulfield last week, training partners Ciaron Maher and Eustace paid up for the 6YO horse for Saturday's $5m Centenary Cox Plate. However, they still believe Gold Trip can win the Melbourne Cup after a tough Cox Plate this weekend.
"There's obviously a number of factors … the horse came through Caulfield really well and he is in great nick obviously," Eustace said.
"We just feel that the ground is going to be in his favour this weekend. The fact that it is away from handicap conditions (is good). He is not going to have to lump a big weight. He brings a different formline as well. There are a group of horses who are obviously all high class and who have been racing against each other and have had hard runs. He goes there having not faced them and we think he could measure up to them,” Eustace quoted further.
Nowadays, horses rarely compete in the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate, and Melbourne Cup in one season. But Eustace thinks Gold Trip's staying power in a high-tempo Cox Plate could allow him to beat Anamoe, Zaaki, and others.